Influenza viruses are made up of an internal ribonucleoprotein core containing a segmented single-stranded RNA genome and an outer lipoprotein envelope lined by a matrix protein. Influenza A and B viruses each contain eight segments of single stranded RNA with negative polarity. The eight genome segments of influenza B encode 11 proteins. The three largest genes code for components of the RNA polymerase, PB1, PB2 and PA. Segment 4 encodes the HA protein. Segment 5 encodes NP. Segment 6 encodes the NA protein and the NB protein. Both proteins, NB and NA, are translated from overlapping reading frames of a biscistronic mRNA. Segment 7 of influenza B also encodes two proteins: M1 and BM2. The smallest segment encodes two products: NS1 is translated from the full length RNA, while NS2 is translated from a spliced mRNA variant.
Vaccines capable of producing a protective immune response specific for influenza viruses have been produced for over 50 years. Vaccines can be characterized as whole virus vaccines, split virus vaccines, surface antigen vaccines and live attenuated virus vaccines. While appropriate formulations of any of these vaccine types is able to produce a systemic immune response, live attenuated virus vaccines are also able to stimulate local mucosal immunity in the respiratory tract.
FluMist™ is a live, attenuated vaccine that protects children and adults from influenza illness (Belshe et al. (1998) The efficacy of live attenuated, cold-adapted, trivalent, intranasal influenza virus vaccine in children N Engl J Med 338:1405-12; Nichol et al. (1999) Effectiveness of live, attenuated intranasal influenza virus vaccine in healthy, working adults: a randomized controlled trial JAMA 282:137-44). FluMist™ vaccine strains contain HA and NA gene segments derived from the currently circulating wild-type strains along with six internal gene segments from a common master donor virus (MDV).
To date, commercially available influenza vaccines in the United States are propagated in embryonated hen's eggs. Many strains of influenza B viruses do not grow well in eggs and must become “egg-adapted.” Unfortunately, egg adaptation of influenza B viruses results in loss of an N-linked glycosylation site at amino acid residue 196 or 197 of the HA polypeptide. Loss of the N-linked glycosylation site affects virus antigenicity and corresponding vaccine efficacy. Stabilization of the N-linked glycosylation site in influenza B viruses grown in eggs could be of significance in, inter alia, influenza B vaccine manufacture.